"How would you like to bowl a really fast ball, dead on middle stump? And I mean hurricane fast!" "Yeah!" "Right, come with me..." Tyrone lives and breathes cricket, and he practises all the time, but he's not quite good enough to be picked for the school team - and nowhere near as good as his best friend, Cristiano. That is, until the day he meets Nick, the mysterious stranger who appears at the nets. Suddenly, as if by magic, Tyrone is not only the fastest bowler in the school, but he's picked for the county, too. All he has to do is follow Nick's instructions - 18 paces exactly, and say, "Here's one for old Nick!" - and he can bowl a deadly, unbeatable ball. But there's a price to pay for Tyrone's new-found talent. It starts with just pocket money, but the demands get greater as the stakes get higher. Tyrone finds himself lying to his best friend and his mum, and being less than truthful with himself. On the day of the big county final, when Tyrone is up to bowl against Cristiano, Nick's advice is not only dishonest but dangerous - and the price this time is to steal GBP 200 from his mum.
Can Tyrone say no to Nick or will this sinister visitor now have Tyrone under his power for ever?

Illustrated by: Keith Sparrow